There is a need for devices that detect tampering with utility meters. Tampering with utility meters can cause damage to equipment, injury, and loss of revenue. One common type of meter tampering involves opening the sealed meter cover to either disable the counting/registration device or to divert a resource (such as water or electricity). By diverting the resource past the meter (i.e. bypassing the meter), the resource may be consumed without recordation or registration for billing purposes.
While meters are crafted in a way such that opening the meter cover is difficult, it is not practical or likely possible to create a meter cover that cannot be removed. Indeed, at least one consideration is that an authorized meter technician may be required to open the meter cover at some point. Therefore, the meter closure cannot be impenetrable. Accordingly, a main strategy in tamper protection is to detect and flag an unauthorized removal of the meter cover. Because meters are periodically read, either in person or remotely, the flagging of a meter tamper event allows for relatively timely indication that tampering has occurred. Alternatively, meters with automated meter reading communication devices may communicate an indication of the opening event remotely. Upon receiving evidence of a tamper event, the situation can be corrected.
Traditionally, mechanical seals have been placed between the meter base assembly and its cover to inhibit unauthorized access. In such cases, a broken seal can indicate a tamper event. This protection mechanism, although sufficient on meters employing primary mechanical counters, may not provide adequate protection for electronic meters. In particular, electronic meters can often be read remotely (e.g. using AMR), or at least without close inspection of the meter. Accordingly, if an electronic meter has the ability to report metering data remotely, there may seldom be an opportunity for a meter technician to observe a broken seal at the location of the meter.
There is a need, therefore, for electronic tamper detection that does not require, or at least rely exclusively on, a mechanical seal.